The decision, announced on Tuesday in a joint statement by the Egyptian Customs Authority (ECA) and the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA), is part of the mobile phone governance system introduced in January 2025.
Under this system, Egyptian travelers were temporarily allowed to bring one mobile phone into Egypt duty-free until locally manufactured alternatives became widely available.
An exemption will continue on mobile phones belonging to Egyptians expats and tourists visiting the country for a period of 90 days.
Foreigners visiting Egypt will receive a new SIM card, valid for 90 days on each visit, with foreign SIM cards remaining fully operational and devices unlocked.
Expats, who previously had mobile phone valid for 90 days once from its first activation, will now have to to report their arrival and submit proof of residence abroad in order to activate it for 90 days during each visit.
Authorities stated that the policy has already yielded clear results, with 15 international companies entering the Egyptian market to manufacture mobile phones. These companies have a combined annual production capacity of around 20 million devices, exceeding local demand.
The sector saw significant progress in 2025, reflected in the local availability of the latest international models across all price ranges.
According to the statement, the devices are produced by the same global manufacturers, or under their direct technical supervision, using the same technical specifications and international quality standards, and are sold at competitive prices.
Officials stated that the regulatory framework has created approximately 10,000 jobs for Egyptian youth and ensured a sufficient local supply of mobile phones, thereby eliminating the need for continued exceptional exemptions or reliance on imported devices.
To ease the transition, taxes and fees on mobile phones brought from abroad can be paid through the Telephony application or via banks and electronic wallets.
Users will be granted a grace period of up to 90 days from first activation to regularize their devices before any regulatory action is taken, with instalment payment options to be introduced soon.
The two authorities confirmed that taxes and fees will not be applied retroactively to devices that were exempted prior to the decision coming into force.
They also said registration of personal mobile phones at customs outlets has been cancelled, as payments can now be completed through the designated digital channels.
In July, the NTRA confirmed that since the system’s launch on 1 January, 650,000 mobile phones have been exempted under this one-device rule.
According to regulations set by the NTRA and the ECA, travellers are permitted to bring one mobile phone into the country for personal use without taxation, provided the device is declared to a customs officer upon arrival.
The mobile phone governance system, introduced at the start of 2025, aimed to regulate the registration and taxation of imported mobile devices and curb the entry of smuggled phones into Egypt.
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